Refugee exodus to save sinking Lesvos

Greece’s Ministry of Migration evacuated more refugees on Wednesday from the island of Lesvos and transferred them to Piraeus where they will be relocated to centres on the mainland.

It is estimated that more than 250 refugees of various nationalities including families with children, women who are alone, elderly and people with disabilities were put on a ferry and moved out.

According to government sources, there are plans to transfer about 3,000 people from Lesvos to the mainland by December 10, while similar actions will also be taken for other islands.

Lesvos was one of the hardest hit islands during the peak of the migration crisis, experiencing more than a 40% drop in tourist arrivals. Nonetheless, the people of Lesvos were praised around the world for their unanimous hospitality of migrants and refugees reaching the island.

In recent months however, islanders became increasingly frustrated by the perceived lack of support by authorities in managing the overwhelming numbers of refugees on a daily basis, that eventually led to violent clashes between locals and immigrants and local authorities.

With nearly 8,500 refugees and migrants currently stuck on Lesvos, Minister Yiannis Mouzalas said the effort will “intensify” in the coming days.